​Alex Marquez has admitted that overconfidence played a part in his crash that cost him a chance at a podium from what had been a solid showing at the German Grand Prix, taking full responsibility for the mistake. Lining up second on the grid, the Gresini rider kept pressuring his older brother Marc Marquez in the early stages, though he couldn’t quite bridge the gap enough to attempt a move.
At the end of lap nine of 30, Marquez’s Ducati tucked the front into Turn 13, causing him to slide out and end his race prematurely. It was a disappointing halt to what had otherwise been a strong weekend for the 30-year-old rider, who had qualified on the front row and finished second in the sprint, even though he was still rebuilding after a collarbone injury.
When asked about the crash at the final corner, Marquez cited two different sections of the circuit where he had encountered difficulties for various reasons. “I don’t know. Honestly, I made a small mistake while trying to … Maybe that turn four today was quite fast, and I was perhaps too confident in those two points, and I made that small mistake,” he explained. “It’s true that the grip level was a little bit lower today and everything was more tricky. So, just that. I don’t know if the wind played a part, but it was more of a mistake. I’m upset and quite sad about the crash, but I’m really happy with the overall weekend.”
Coming back from injury and now showing more speed, he added, “But I still need some race rhythm to fully embrace all that speed and performance. I still need a few more races to be 100% again.” After missing three Grands Prix due to a broken shoulder sustained at the Catalan Grand Prix, this German GP weekend marked only his second full outing since the comeback. He noted that his physical limitations left him too stiff on the bike, contributing to the crash on the long left-hander that feeds back onto the start/finish straight. “In those corners, I don’t help the bike a lot to turn. I’m too stiff on the bike, so I put too much weight on the front,” he said, suggesting that fear with the bike’s front end was a factor in the crash.
Looking ahead to the run after the summer break, with Silverstone due on 9 August following a four-week hiatus, Marquez said: “I will try. This is my target. Step by step, I’m close to my 100%. I hope that after the summer break in Silverstone, I will be at 100% – if not, surely later on.”
Alex Marquez was widely noted at Sachsenring as Marc Marquez’s nearest challenger, with the factory Ducati rider dominating with pole position and wins in both races. The Gresini rider fell just short of pole by 0.061 seconds and ended Saturday’s sprint 0.368 seconds behind the reigning champion. Although expected to pose a tougher challenge on Sunday, both he and his Ducati teammate faced the reality that more time would be needed to recapture full race pace and consistency.